Beet-harvester.



Patented Feb. '7, 1911.

LAN

3 s HBBTs-SHEET 1.

@XH/tvnews J. C'. GERKEN. BBBT HARVESTER. APPLIUA-TI`0N FILED1111111.11, 1909,

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l n@ QQ J. C. GERKEN. BERT HARVESTER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 11

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.if n N/ esajwaf f I Tolall whomi may 'concern-f JoHN c. GERKEN, orsaiIIIiivv;4 MICHIGAN.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. GiiniriiN, a citizen of thev United States,residingat Saginaw, in thc'jeounty of Saginaw and -Stateof Michigan,have invented certain new *anduseful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters;vandvI do. declare the following to .be afull, clear, and exactdescriptionI of the invention, such as will enable .others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same..

' -Thisinvention relates to improvements in i -Thel object of theinvention is to provide simple and: eicient means for digging beetsandeccting the proper disposition of the beets after'the removal thereoffrom the `.g'iound. With this and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certa-in novel features .of construction,combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described yand articularly pointedont in the tappendvided and is preferably mountedon a trac- In the accompanying drawings :-'Figure 1 is a plan view 'ofthis improved harvester; Fig. 2 isla side elevation thereof; Fig. 3

,is a central vertical longitudinal section; Fig.` 4 is a' transversesection taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail plan view,of a pair of excavating members; and` Fig. 6 isa detail transversesection of. an excavating roller.

In the: embodiment of the invention illustrated, a suitable supportingframe 1 is pro- Ation wheel 2 and a smallenwheel 3, said wheels beingsupported on suitable axles 2'* and 2b journaled in said frame onopposite sides thereof. l Y

A topping mechanism is shown in the drawings, but forms no part 'of thepresent invention.

y A driviic shaft 5 is jonrnaledinthe side members of.) the frame 1 andis provided with '.fpinion 4 around which is passed a driving Vham .8for engaging said shaft 5.

This `lchain 8 also engages a 'sprocket wheel 7 fixed to theaxle 2a ofthetraction wheel 2and 'receives motion therefrom.

beet diggingmechanism-is-inonnted in the frame'l and comprises shoes orpointed members 42 arranged side by side at a snitable inclinationtoenter the gronndthe desited distance necessary to excavate beets.

-vTtiese shoes 42 are provided with rotary- BEET-HARVESTER.

:specibation of Letters Patent. "Application fiieq Maman, 1909.'seriaiin.isf/.5813.4 i

ribbed rolls 42e-'which are tapered longit'u# ,dinally toward theirfront ends land are arranged in longitudinal alinement with said shoesand are adapted for co-action when rotated for eifecting the immediateremoval of the beetsexcavated by theshoes Patented Feb.l 7, 1911.

42 to deliver said beets toan elevator 43 as hereinafter described.Theaxles-or shafts 42" of the rolls 42a. are suitably journaled inaboring 58 suspended in position from a bail-like or cranked cross rod 65by a supplementary frame 60 connected- With said rod by'lin'ks 63, andthey are adapted for, removing direct connection of the digging machine.4 y.

The shafts 42" of the rollers 42 are provided with intergeared wheels,as 57', and

one of .s aid shafts. is provided with'a beveled pinion 55 whichn'ieshes with a similar o mechanism from the carrying axle of the '7 ipinion 54 fixed toa shaft 54. vThis shaft 54a'is also equi 'pecl with a`sprocket-pinion 53 encompasse passes around a sprocket wheel 14 securedto the driving shaft 5 by means of which' the rolls 421 are driventhrough the shaft 54, beveled gears 54 and 55, and intermeshing gears57.

The axles or shafts 5 and 54*l are connects4 ed together by brace bars59Wliereby s'aid shafts are retained in operative position.. The membersofthe frame 60 carrying the' -slices 42 are connected by links, as 63,to the cross bar of the cranked rod 65 and a lever 66 is pivoted' onsaid cross rod 65 and is preferably connected by means of a rod (31A ktothe clutch actuating mechanism of the shaft 5. 'This rod 61 isconnectedat its rear end to one end of a bell crank lever 61.", theother end of said bell crank being. conby a belt 53a. whichV also nectedby a link 61l with one end of a clutch shifting lever 61C. This lever 61visfiilcrumed intermediately of its ends tothe frame 1 and the free endthereof is engaged l-with a sliding clutch member 5" splinedon' theshaft 5 and adapted to be moved into and ontof engagement withthefcom'pleinentary clutch member 4 secured 'to the 1 driving pinion 4loosely mounted on the shaft 5 whereby said shaft may be thrown intoand4 out of operation.

An velevator 43 Amounted inteiinediately of th'e .eiids'of theA machinecomprises laterally inclined members 43a andA 43" (see Fig. 4)`havingarranged in their side portions a plurality of endless belts or 4chains70x .which pass. around sprocket -Y tents to a laterallydiscliargingconveyer'44.

'Cri

- its lower ends withthe elevatoror conveyor from the conveyer,saidbuneher being "prefl and provided with suitable.

'-contents of the bunchers; for the suitable.

-69 secured uion a commonshaft 46S-snp 'shaft 5 bynneans mitting `chainsor belts within the c onveycr 43. The pnnons 70 are; held in'operable'connection Y an approximately V- shaped outline lfor'the readyreinovalrof `the beet. tops and-the exwheels ori pinions, `as 70', and70,v hung in said side portions upon suitable shafts, the shafts of ethe upper wheels 7.0c being lprovidedwith x:' beveled pinions 70 whichmesh with -piiiions portedy in suitable uprig'its 71 secured t0 (57driven from a pinion 12on`th drive ofa belt 6i" for transinotion yto theendless chains or belts 1705 for elevating the excavated beets by meansof hooks .70"attached to said withthe gears 69 by a frainelGS which ismounted on thel slial't-(8`ai1d connected at guide members. The elevatorhas its lat` `eral members atl-5 andi-t3" arranged to form etl'ectiveelevating and delivering of itsleoyn# '.lhis conveyer 4l, is arranged atright angles to the elevator-43 and may be of any suit:-able'or-desiredconstruction.

"Arrai-iged.. opposite the eoriveyerf -l-t foi" thedeliveryfoftlie'beets lisl preferably arranged aQbuncher- 45which may lbc ot' anysuitable constructionA to receiv'ethe"contents erably4v pivotally`supported upon the framel dumping v a foot means adapted .tolie-actuated b lever 75. i, lo raise-aiidV-lower the upstanding inemf.bers of theframe.(iOfandthe excavating devices.. carried thereby, 'aforwardly extend-1 ing link ttl is connected thereto and alever (30"movable on a seginen'talraek (3()c provided -with a locking pawl G0 isconnected with said link. L

'lhe foot lever 75 is preferably equipped -with a toe s'trapt'l'c forretaining the foot of the operator Athereon 'and'said levert-is operablewhen required Afor dumping the delivery ot their contents. Y lt will benoted from the foregoing description, that. a machine c onstriictial'asherein described will greatly facilitate the cavaton `and harvestingofthe beets themselves by a continuous opei'atioii.vv

From' -the foregoing descrip( ion taken fin' connection -with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation vof the .willisaid structure, and

'nesses :and the ininor details of construction may 'be resorted towithout departing from the principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invenlionas defined in the appendedfclaims; 1

I claim as my invention:

l. ln' a beet harvester,a digging and lifting mechanism comprisingexcavator shoes,

opposed conical rolleis mounted on said shoes, means for actuatingsaidrollers, an

elevator arranged to receive the'excavated beets from said rollers andhaving lateral members converging toward their' i lower edges andequipped with a plurality of vertically spaced endless beltsprovided'with b'eetengaging means forming a conveying channel V-shapedin cross sectiom-and actuating 1neans`for said belts and rollers.'

A beet harvester comprising a wheeled sul'iportiiig frameyan excavatorsupporting structure having excavating shoes mounted thereon a'iidvdiverging from their inner toivard their outer ends, rollers revolnblyAmounted on said shoes, shafts extending jrear 'ardly, from saidrollers,' interineshing igears carried Lby said shafts, driving meansconnected with said gears, laterally spaced 'arms extending' rearwardlyfroin'said supporting.structure and provided wlth bearings attheir freeends pivotally engaged and lowering'said supporting structure.4

2i. ln a heet harvester a wheeled supportinglrain'e, aidriving shaftjournaled therein vand operatively connected with one of the t'raetionwheels for operation thereby, .a cranked cross rod arranged transverselyof said fraine an inverted Ushaped supporting frame, links connectingthe legs of said supporting franievwith said crank rod, a,

Aes

box' mounted in said supporting frame lie-- tween the legsthereofl andwith its rear endpivotally connected with said jf 'raine2 a beetdi,;zgin'g l,r inecl'ianisn'i mounted in .said box, and means,connectedwith said crank rod for raising and loweringsaid beetdiggingiiwclninism. t.

Iii testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in presenceof twosubscribing wit Jol-iN o. GERKEN.

